Guthrie voted Most Beautiful Small Town by magazine readers

It began as a railroad station, then became Oklahoma’s first capital; now it’s the readers’ choice for “Most Beautiful Town.”

The city of Guthrie’s history began after the Land Run of 1889, but much of that history still stands.

“We have a large historic district where the majority of the buildings were built between 1890 and 1910, and those several blocks have been pretty much preserved as pristine,” Leroy Alsup, Guthrie’s city manager, says. “It’s kind of like walking back into early Oklahoma history when you visit our community.”

Photo by James Pratt

Historical tourism is an important industry for Guthrie, the largest urban historic district in the state with more than 2,000 buildings.

“It’s like stepping back in time, but being able to enjoy modern amenities,” Andrea Post, Guthrie’s tourism director, says. “The pace of life here is a little bit slower, but you do have this gorgeous architecture through our downtown. It’s kind of a small town feel with big city access.”